CSC Workshop: Computing Across Disciplines

We're kicking off our workshop series with an exciting introductory workshop featuring four Barnard faculty whose work engages with computing. Each presenter will give 15 to 20 minute overviews of how they use and apply computing to topics across disciplines. 

Presenters and topics include:

Machine Learning and AI for Pandemic Biology, JJ Miranda, Associate Professor of Biology, Barnard College

We will discuss our own previous work and emerging trends in the field that use machine learning to understand how viruses interact with humans from the cellular to the population level.

Optimization for Robotics through Co-Design, Brian Plancher, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Barnard College

Today's robots range from humanoids to autonomous cars to micro-drones and have a wide variety of different computational platforms on board (e.g., CPUs, GPUs, MCUs). Across all of these scales, optimization algorithms are a core underlying operation and yet often remain a computational bottleneck at the edge. In this presentation we'll explore some of our recent work unlocking real-time optimization at the edge through hardware-software co-design.

Computing for Insights into Mind and Brain, Michelle Greene, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology, Barnard College

Have you ever wondered how you can instantly make sense of the world the moment you open your eyes? In this talk, we'll explore the hidden computational challenges behind visual perception and show how cutting-edge computing is helping scientists decode the brain's ability to understand the complex scenes around us in a fraction of a second.

Monitoring long-term success in urban forests: A 10 year case study from NYC Million Trees Initiative, Elizabeth Cook, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, Barnard College

Urban reforestation is an increasingly common strategy cities use to address pressing social and environmental changes, yet there is little long-term data on urban tree growth and the success of urban reforestation. I will share results from 10 years of monitoring reforestation success in the NYC Million Trees Initiative.

This workshop is planned to take place in person (516 Milstein) and on Zoom. A link to join via Zoom will be sent to registrants shortly before the event.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information about the Barnard CSC, go to https://www.csc.barnard.edu or follow us on Instagram and X (@barnard_csc).